Imaging device

An imaging device for producing images of a target irradiated with electron-hole producing radiation comprising:

• A. radiation source producing a beam of said electron-hole producing radiation directed at said target, said beam defining a beam path,
• B. at least one solid state radiation detection unit positioned in said beam path downstream of said target, said unit comprising:
• 1) a substrate comprised of doped single crystal silicon,
• 2) a plurality of complementary metal oxide semiconductor pixel circuits incorporated into and on said single crystal silicon to form an array, defining an array of pixel circuits, each of said semiconductor pixel circuits defining a pixel and comprising
• a) a charge collecting pixel electrode,
• b) a pixel capacitor defined at least in part by said charge collecting electrode for storing charges collected by said charge collecting electrode,
• c) a charge measuring circuit comprising a single transistor amplifier for permitting a measurement of charge stored on said pixel capacitor,
• 3) a radiation absorbing layer comprised of an electrically insulating photoconductive material covering said array of pixel circuits, said material being photoconductive on exposure to said electron-hole producing radiation,
• 4) a surface electrode layer comprised of electrically conducting material deposited on said radiation absorbing layer, said electrode layer being at least partially transparent to said radiation, and
• 5) voltage source establishing an electrical field across said radiation absorbing layer and between said surface electrode layer and said charge collecting electrodes;
• C. a pixel charge measurement circuit for making measurements of charges stored on each of said pixel capacitors via said measuring circuits, and outputting pixel data indicative of such charges,
• D. a data acquisition system for acquiring and storing said pixel data,
• E. a computer for computing images of said target from said pixel data.

An imaging device for producing images from electron-hole producing radiation comprising:

• A. at least one solid state radiation detection unit comprising:
• 1) a substrate comprised of a doped crystalline semiconductor material,
• 2) a plurality of metal oxide semiconductor pixel circuits incorporated into and on said substrate to form an array, defining an array of pixel circuits, each of said semiconductor pixel circuits defining a pixel and comprising:
• a) a charge collecting pixel electrode,
• b) a pixel capacitor defined at least in part by said charge collecting electrode for storing charges collected by said charge collecting electrode,
• c) a charge measuring circuit comprising a single transistor amplifier for permitting a measurement of charge stored on said pixel capacitor,
• 3) a radiation absorbing layer comprised of at least two sublayers of an electrically insulating photoconductive material covering said array of pixel circuits, said at least two sublayers being photoconductive on exposure to said electron-hole producing radiation, said at least two sublayers forming a semiconductor junction,
• 4) a surface electrode layer comprised of electrically conducting material deposited on said radiation absorbing layer, said electrode layer being at least partially transparent to said radiation,
• B. a pixel charge measurement circuit for measuring charges stored on each of said pixel capacitors via said measuring circuits, and outputting pixel data indicative of such charges, wherein said pixel data contains information defining an image.